Legal advice team
Kayi Lau
Kayi Lau is Abbey’s Corporate Services Unit Manager, which includes the XpertHR Team. She qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and worked for both a national firm in London and a niche practice in West Sussex before joining Abbey in March 2006. She has experience both in employment tribunal litigation and in advising employers and employees on employment law and HR issues. She has also drafted a variety of documentation to assist employers, such as newsletters and guidance notes on recent changes in employment law.

Nick Bailey
Nick Bailey qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and was in private practice until he joined Abbey Legal in November 2000. An employment law specialist for many years, Nick also has a strong academic interest in the subject and has completed a masters degree in employment law and industrial relations.

Tracey Collinson Smee
Tracey Collinson Smee is a solicitor and member of Abbey’s Corporate Services Unit. She had many years experience in private practice dealing with litigious matters prior to joining Abbey in 2004. Immediately before joining Abbey she was practice manager at a niche firm and has been responsible, among other things, for training and managing lawyers and other staff. Tracey has several years experience in advising HR professionals and business managers on a variety of employment law issues. She aims to assist clients in achieving their business objectives when it comes to HR issues whilst attempting to minimise risk.

Olivia Irvine
Olivia Irvine is a solicitor and a senior legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. Olivia qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and she then worked as an in-house employment solicitor in industry and in London advising on all aspects of employment law. She has practical experience of employment tribunal litigation, advising on contracts, policies and staff handbooks and presenting seminars aimed at HR professionals and senior managers

Diccon Maude
Diccon Maude is a solicitor specialising in employment law and joined Abbey in February 2009. He read Law with European Legal Systems and worked for four years at an established city firm before working in the legal sector in commerce and industry, after qualifying as a solicitor in March 2002. At his previous firm Diccon gained extensive experience in advising HR professionals to a high level on all aspects of employment law, including recruitment, contracts and policies, major restructuring and redundancy exercises and tribunal litigation, as well as speaking at regular seminars on a range of employment law and HR topics.

Rita Kattah Mitchen
Rita Kattah Mitchen was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2003 after having previously qualified as a Barrister in 1998. She worked in commercial and civil litigation practices before specialising exclusively in employment law from 2006. She has advised and represented both employees and employers in employment tribunals. Rita joined the Corporate Services Unit at Abbey in February 2009.

Sarah Takun
Sarah Takun works as a Corporate Services Unit
legal advisor, which includes being part of the XpertHR Team. She qualified as a
solicitor in 2006, having trained at a well-respected South Coast firm before
moving to an employment team at a firm in Lewes. She joined the Employment
Support Unit at Abbey Legal in October 2007 and moved to the Corporate Services
Unit in August 2008. Sarah has experience in advising both employers and
employees on various aspects of employment law and has a particular interest in
maternity and family friendly rights.

Edward Pearce
Edward Pearce is Manager of Abbey’s Employment
Consultancy Team. He qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and joined Abbey in 1999.
Since then he has continued to specialise in employment law. Before joining the
team, he worked as a solicitor in private practice. His particular area of
expertise is in non-contentious employment matters, including drafting contracts
of employment, negotiating compromise agreements, assisting with the
implementation of disciplinary exercises and redundancy programmes and
delivering training and seminars on employment law to managers and HR
professionals.

Annie Lavelle
Annie Lavelle is a solicitor and joined Abbey’s
Corporate Services team in August 2009. She studied social anthropology at
Sussex University and went on to the College of Law in Guildford to complete her
Postgraduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course. Annie qualified in 2007,
having completed her training contract at a one of the top national firms. She
has extensive knowledge of employment law within a care standards context having
previously spent two years working at Abbey’s Employment Care Homes
Unit.

Murray Fairclough
Murray Fairclough is Abbey’s Director of Legal
Services. He is a barrister, called in 1993, and specialist employment lawyer.
In 1999, he was awarded a Doctorate by the University of Leicester for his
research into civil legal aid and the legal expenses insurance industry. Prior
to joining Abbey in 1998, Murray was in private practice and worked in-house for
Royal & Sun Alliance. He is a published author and regular contributor to
BBC radio.

Claire Birkinshaw
Claire Birkinshaw is Abbey’s Legal information
Manager. She read law at the University of Manchester. Having qualified as a
solicitor in 1994, she worked at two of the top ten London law firms and as
legal adviser to the Ministry of Defence before joining Abbey in October 1998.
Claire’s primary responsibility is to provide employment law know-how and
technical support to Abbey’s legal team and she has gained extensive experience
in employment law during her legal career. Claire also writes articles for the
XpertHR web site on a regular basis.

Stuart England
Stuart England heads Abbey’s Employment
Litigation Team. Stuart is a solicitor and originally practised as a criminal
lawyer before becoming a specialist employment litigator and advocate. Stuart is
an experienced trial lawyer with a particular interest in discrimination claims.